Seahawks take it away from the 49ers, win NFC title

Jan. 19, 2014

Updated Jan. 20, 2014 6:18 a.m.

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Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (center) tips the ball up in the air as Seattle outside linebacker Malcolm Smith (right) catches it to clinch a 23-17 victory for the Seahawks in the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. JONATHAN FERREY, GETTY IMAGES

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Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is hit by San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith on fourth and goal in the fourth quarter during the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. CHRISTIAN PETERSEN, GETTY IMAGES

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse (right) is hit by San Francisco 49ers free safety Eric Reid (left) and strong safety Donte Whitner, breaking up the pass in the second half of the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. JONATHAN FERREY, GETTY IMAGES

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse (center) is hit by San Francisco 49ers free safety Eric Reid (right) and strong safety Donte Whitner in the second half of the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. CHRISTIAN PETERSEN, GETTY IMAGES

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse (center) is hit by San Francisco 49ers free safety Eric Reid (left) and strong safety Donte Whitner during the second half of the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. TOM PENNINGTON, GETTY IMAGES

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate (left) runs after a catch against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock (right) in the fourth quarter during the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. RONALD MARTINEZ, GETTY IMAGES

Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Malcolm Smith (left) and defensive back DeShawn Shead celebrate after Smith intercepts a pass in the endzone to beat the San Francisco 49ers, 23-17, in the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. JONATHAN FERREY, GETTY IMAGES

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Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman hold up the George Halas Trophy after the Seahawks defeat the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 in the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. JONATHAN FERREY, GETTY IMAGES

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Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril as the Seahawks advanced to the Super Bowl with a 23-17 victory against the San Franciso 49ers on Sunday at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. JONATHAN FERREY, GETTY IMAGES

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (center) throws a pass in the second half of the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. The Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers, 23-17, to advance to the Super Bowl on Feb. 2 ELAINE THOMPSON, AP

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Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (left) talks to San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh after the Seahawks beat the 49ers, 23-17, in the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. TED S. WARREN, AP

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Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks tips the ball up in the air as outside linebacker Malcolm Smith #53 catches it to clinch the victory for the Seahawks against the San Francisco 49ers during the 2014 NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on January 19, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. JONATHAN FERREY, GETTY IMAGES

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Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll celebrates after the NFL football NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 23-17 to advance to Super Bowl XLVIII. TED S. WARREN, AP

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Outside linebacker Malcolm Smith #53 and defensive back DeShawn Shead #35 celebrate after Smith intercepts a pass in the endzone to win the game for the Seahawks against the San Francisco 49ers during the 2014 NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on January 19, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. JONATHAN FERREY, GETTY IMAGES

Seattle strong safety Kam Chancellor (front) makes an interception in the fourth quarter in front of San Francisco wide receiver Anquan Boldin during the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. RONALD MARTINEZ, GETTY IMAGES

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Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett (front) recovers a fumble by quarterback Colin Kaepernick and runs for 17-yards in the fourth quarter during the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. CHRISTIAN PETERSEN, GETTY IMAGES

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Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (right) tips away a pass from San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree in the end zone late in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle. TONY OVERMAN, MCT

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San Francisco wide receiver Michael Crabtree (left) slaps away Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman as he rubs in the defeat after knocking away a pass from Crabtree late in the NFC championship game at CenturyLink Field in Seattle on Sunday. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 23-17. TONY OVERMAN, MCT

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (center) tips the ball up in the air as Seattle outside linebacker Malcolm Smith (right) catches it to clinch a 23-17 victory for the Seahawks in the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on Sunday in Seattle.JONATHAN FERREY, GETTY IMAGES

SEATTLE – Their vision became a reality in the biggest, loudest moment.

Four years ago, Pete Carroll and right-hand man John Schneider hatched a plan. They wanted to put together a young, athletic, championship-caliber roster. A grinding, scrappy offense. A defense featuring speed and playmakers at every level.

It all came together in the second half of a brutally physical battle for the NFC Championship. Against their bitterest rivals, the Seattle Seahawks soared.

Embodying the principles Carroll holds dearest, the Seahawks held off the San Francisco 49ers, 23-17, to advance to Super Bowl XLVIII. The Seahawks will face the Denver Broncos on Feb. 2 in East Rutherford, N.J.

“All I can tell you is, it’s quite a magical moment,” said Carroll, who left USC in January 2010 to take a second – and likely final – shot at the NFL. “You can’t quite grasp the reality of it. Is this really happening? Did we really do this? It’s very, very special.”

Getting there took determined rushing, clutch passing, late-game adjustments and, of course, turnovers. The Seahawks took the ball away from the 49ers three times in the fourth quarter. Would you expect anything different from a Carroll-coached team?

After the final takeaway – a game-saving interception in the end zone with 22 seconds remaining – the celebration began at cacophonous CenturyLink Field. The jubilant Seahawks, in their gray NFC champion caps and white NFC Champion T-shirts, formed a mosh pit at midfield. Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” blared over the PA system. The NFL’s loudest crowd gleefully sang along.

Jermaine Kearse, an unlikely Sunday hero, took a lap around the field with fellow receiver Golden Tate. They carried a blue flag with the No. 12 on it.

“This is definitely something we couldn’t have done without the 12th Man,” Tate said of Seattle’s fans. “This place was shaking.”

He wasn’t exaggerating. The stadium literally shook at times in the second half. One of those moments came early in the fourth quarter, when Russell Wilson connected with Kearse for a 35-yard touchdown to give the Seahawks the lead for the first time.

It was a fourth-down play, and Carroll initially sent kicker Steven Hauschka onto the field for what would have been a 53-yard field-goal attempt. But after taking a timeout, Carroll reconsidered. He decided to go for it.

When the 49ers jumped offside, the receivers adjusted their routes. They all headed for the end zone. That’s where Wilson found Kearse, one of many undrafted free agents-turned-key contributors on this youthful Seahawks squad.

Kearse is part of a receiving corps described by media pundits as “pedestrian.” They used the slight as fuel.

“We were called pedestrian, pretty much unimportant on the field,” Kearse said. “Hey, it’s cool. I’ll be a pedestrian walking my way to New York.”

After a bizarre sequence of turnovers by both teams, the Seahawks added a field goal to increase their lead to six. The 49ers had 3 minutes, 32 seconds to win a third consecutive road playoff game and reach a second consecutive Super Bowl.

Colin Kaepernick, whose running had befuddled the Seahawks in the first half, completed five passes to advance the ball to the 18-yard line with 30 seconds left. Then he took a shot at the one player he should’ve avoided.

Richard Sherman, the NFL’s leading interceptor, was running step for step with Michael Crabtree, Kaepernick’s target in the right corner of the end zone. Sherman leaped and deflected Kaepernick’s pass. Linebacker Malcolm Smith, who played for Carroll at USC, came down with the ball.

“It was kind of surprising, attacking the best corner in the NFL,” Kearse said. “I wouldn’t say it was the smartest decision. It worked out well for us.”

The ending was painful and familiar for the 49ers. They had three shots to win last year’s Super Bowl. All were incomplete passes from Kaepernick to Crabtree.

“I didn’t play good enough to win,” said Kaepernick, who passed for 153 yards and rushed for 130 against the league’s No. 1 defense. “I turned the ball over three times. I cost us this game.”

Several Seahawks said it was appropriate that they had to go through the 49ers to reach the Super Bowl. Their rivalry has evolved into the NFL’s best, featuring two coaches, Carroll and Jim Harbaugh, who have been battling since their Pac-10 days.

Among Carroll’s first messages to his new team was to “own the NFC West.” Four years later, after vanquishing their division rivals, they own the entire conference.

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